The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Monday announced the candidature of actor-comedian Jaaved Jaffrey from Lucknow to take on BJP president Rajnath Singh.

Leaders of the party said the decision was taken at the political affairs committee in New Delhi. Earlier reports suggested that the party had zeroed in on Adarsh Shastri, grandson of late prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Rajnath Singh is contesting from Lucknow, a seat held by the Bharatiya Janata Party for over two decades. The Congress has pitted Rita Bahuguna Joshi while the ruling Samajwadi Party has fielded state minister, 37-year-old Abhishek Mishra.